2018 MOST WANTED MALLET PUTTER

Our Mission:

We are independent, unbiased and always put the #ConsumerFirst. We spend thousands of hours testing and researching products to help you get the most out of your game. This way you can be sure you have reviews you can trust. >> READ MORE

INDEPENDENT & UNBIASED

MyGolfSpy accepts $0 advertising dollars from any of the major golf manufacturers. We believe in always putting #ConsumerFirst.

135

HoursResearched

31

ProductsConsidered

17,463

PuttsHit

25.9m

Readers

INDEPENDENT & UNBIASED

MyGolfSpy accepts $0 advertising dollars from any of the major golf manufacturers. We believe in always putting #ConsumerFirst.

135

HoursResearched

31

ProductsConsidered

17,463

PuttsHit

25.9m

Readers

Our Job Is Your Game.

Is your putter helping or hurting your game? Putters are among the least fitted clubs in a golfer’s bag. When you pull a random putter off the rack in a store, it’s like you’re buying a very expensive lottery ticket. There’s no promise that it will drop your score.

We’re trying to take the guesswork out of buying a putter. We test all of the major brands, and then some. We get rid of the all the marketing and make it about one thing: Performance.

In 2018, we have yet again improved our scoring metrics to formulate the TRUERank for each putter. The top-ranked putter is that which finished in the statistically significant top group for the largest number of testers.

If you are in the market for a new mallet putter in 2018, this is for you.

The MyGolfSpy Difference

2018’s Most Wanted Blade test is the largest, fully independent putter test conducted in the industry.

GET FIT FOR YOUR GAME WITH TRUEGOLFFIT™

How We Test Putters

Each putter is put through a comprehensive test consisting of a series of putts from distances of 5, 10 and 20 feet. Each of our 20 testers putts the equivalent of 18 holes with each putter. The total number of putts required to finish each hole with each putter is recorded.

Next, we identify the top performing club (the one with the fewest total putts) for each tester. Then, for each golfer, using a 90% confidence interval, we identify any other putters for which the total number of putts is not reliably different from the top performer. The number of putters in this statistical top group varies between testers. For some testers, there is a single statistically significant best, while for others, more than half the field is shown not to be reliably different from an individual’s top performer.

Our Most Wanted winner is the club that finishes in the statistically significant top group for the greatest percentage of our testers. To simplify things a bit, we call the final order TRUERank; a metric that includes the order of finish (rank), along with the percentage of golfers for whom each club was shown to be in the statistical top group.

NOTE: Based on your feedback, we have updated the graphics for the top performing putters to show the make percentage for each putter at each of the three distances tested. Hopefully, this should help clarify some of the questions around rankings.

Here are the complete parameters of this year’s test:

Number of Testers: 20

Handicap Range: +1-16

Test Location: MyGolfSpy Testing Facility

Balls Used: 2018 Bridgestone Tour B-RX

Distances Assessed: 5, 10, and 20 Feet

Holes Completed: 18 (per tester)

Total Putts in Test: 17,463

Top 5 Mallet Putters 2018

EVNROLL ER8 Tour Mallet

"Best Mallet Putter 2018"

5' 1-Putt %

1st (78%)

10' 1-Putt %

2nd (50%)

20' 1-Putt %

1st (28%)

TRUERank

1st (60%)

1

Shop & Support

When you shop online consider using our special link. It helps support this site and other golfers around the world. #ConsumerFirst

Shop & Support

The Data

The chart below contains the individual distance rankings from this year’s test. All columns can be sorted to suit your preference.

Our overall rankings are derived from the test of statistical significance, which is displayed in the last column.

PLEASE NOTE: While the graphics for the top performers show 1st Putt Make Percentages for the top finishers, the rankings in the chart below are based on the total number of putts at each distance.

2018 Most Wanted Mallet Data

Club Name

Price

5 Feet (Total Putts)

10 Feet (Total Putts)

20 Feet (Total Putts)

TRUERank

EVNROLL ER8 Tour Mallet

$359.00

1st

4th

1st

1 (60%)

Tommy Armour Impact Series #3 Alignment

$99.99

5th

2nd

10th

1 (60%)

Scotty Cameron Futura 5s

$379.00

13th

8th

14th

3 (50%)

Bettinardi BB56

$300.00

8th

1st

10th

3 (50%)

PING Sigma G Tyne

$199.00

12th

3rd

14th

3 (50%)

Argolf Pendragon

$349.00

17th

14th

4th

6 (45%)

CURE RX4

$259.95

29th

6th

5th

6 (45%)

MLA Tour X-Dream

$299.00

18th

13th

7th

8 (40%)

TaylorMade Spider Tour Red

$299.00

7th

19th

26th

8 (40%)

EVNROLL ER5 Hatchback

$359.00

24th

5th

2nd

8 (40%)

Odyssey O-Works Black 7s

$199.00

3rd

11th

10th

8 (40%)

Scotty Cameron Futura 6m

$399.00

25th

21th

10th

12 (35%)

CURE CX4

$279.95

10th

29th

19th

12 (35%)

Bloodline RG-1

$499.99

19th

8th

19th

12 (35%)

Edel E-1

$330.00

2nd

27th

17th

12 (35%)

TaylorMade Ardmore Center Shaft

$219.00

14th

16th

29th

16 (30%)

Cleveland TFI Elevado

$149.99

11th

23rd

3rd

16 (30%)

Bettinardi iNOVAi Center Shaft

$300.00

15th

24th

7th

16 (30%)

Odyssey O-Works Red Marxman

$199.00

9th

16th

25th

19 (25%)

Cleveland HB # 11

$99.99

4th

8th

27th

19 (25%)

Bettinardi iNOVAi

$300.00

15th

18th

18th

19 (25%)

Odyssey O-Works Red 2 Ball

$199.00

19th

22nd

7th

19 (25%)

Cleveland TFI Rho

$149.99

31st

12th

29th

19 (25%)

CURE Tour X3

$299.95

22nd

26th

16th

19 (25%)

Bettinardi BB39

$300.00

22nd

24th

6th

19 (25%)

MLA X Dream Pro

$149.00

28th

6th

21st

19 (25%)

PING Vault 2.0 Ketsch

$299.00

25th

20th

21st

27 (20%)

CURE Hybrid X1

$299.95

21st

14th

23rd

27 (20%)

Wilson Staff SouthSide

$99.99

29th

31st

28th

27 (20%)

Wilson Staff Grant Park

$99.99

25th

30th

24th

27 (20%)

Cleveland TFI Cero

$149.99

6th

28th

31st

31 (10%)

Support Unbiased Testing.

Our job is your game.

DID YOU KNOW: If only 1% of MyGolfSpy readers donated $25, we would be able to become completely independent in 12-months.

Would you be willing to help by giving a donation? Every dollar will help. Make a donation to support our independent and expert golf equipment research. A PayPal account is not required in order to donate.

Donate to MGS

MyGolfSpy

Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. We want you to get the most out of your
money, time and performance.
That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust,
as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game
today.
#PowerToThePlayer

158 Comments

leftright

2 months ago

Love MGS and feel they have a great thing going with their tests. Golf swings and putting strokes are like fingerprints it seems and the same thing will not work for everyone. What MGS gives us is clubs that will work for the “majority” of golfers. I think many of us overthink the game instead of just playing golf and marketing has the biggest effect on the brainwashing of the masses. I say buy what you like and go with it and don’t let anyone else effect your reasons. It’s my money and I’ll do what I want with it. Being lefthanded I have struggled all my life until maybe the last decade to find good equipment, quality and proper specs. I even have the Mitchell loft and lie, the first one they made that would do lefthanded clubs. I’ve found quality is much better than in the past. My two cents.

Trever

2 months ago

A non-constructive comment: I still have a Never Compromise Sub 30 mallet putter in play, and love it. It pains me to see Cleveland golf outright suck in the putter market … the bought a great brand with sound R&D, and systematically killed it. So sad.

Lynyrd

4 months ago

Enjoy your reviews and learn a great deal.
Suggestion: Next year I think it would be beneficial to have Mallets split into two categories, Mid-Mallet and Higher MOI Mallets. Not only are they very different but it would help re-classification of some putters which compete against blades, i.e. Odyssey #9 Heel Shafted Mid Mallets.
Example; the Cameron Newport 3 has more in common with the Fastback than the Newport Blade. Even though they share the same name,Cameron even describes the Newport 3 as a “Mid-Mallet” not a Blade.

mackdaddy

6 months ago

Tony how much do you think the test is effected by toe hang? It seems like for the best results you would need different groups of testers for the different fits based on toe hang. I don’t putt well with a putter with a lot of toe hang no matter how much tech they put in the putter. I play an ER3 and love it but if it had a lot of toe hang I doubt I would play it.

Jeff Gelb

9 months ago

In the market for a new mallet. Was heavily considering an EVNROLL but after reading these reviews, I’m heading out to try a TA Series 3. Why spend $350 when I could spend less than $100! Thanks for the reviews…

Greg Mitchell

9 months ago

I tried just about every putter on this list and went with the Ray Cook SR-200 34″ putter for $40. I almost bought the Tommy Armour one, but the Ray Cook one has a better feel and is a little heavier. Best decision I ever made. Ever since I switched I have made 90+% of putts under 10 feet (yes I track my putting stats). My playing partners are pissed as well since I have vastly improved my putting and therefore my score. My wallet has also gotten thicker taking money off of them! 🙂

Dave

11 months ago

I have messed around with a Bettinardi 3.0 Innovai for a month now after practically stealing it ($160) off the used rack at Golf Galaxy. It is a great putter for aiming, but distance-wise it didn’t come close to my old faithful Ping G5i Craz-e.

This and most other reviews place so much emphasis on roll and alignment, but I agree with Dave Pelz’s contention that most amateurs miss putts short or long by a greater margin than they do left or right. I should have my hand slapped for even thinking about trying another putter. I’ve tried dozens of putters over the years, but nothing comes close to the combination of speed and line control that my old Craz-e does.

John

11 months ago

This evaluation was a good way to start the search for a new putter. Instead of going through the wide assortment I immediately reduced it to the top 4. I ended up with the Tommy Armour and not only is it a good value it matches my straight back style. Thanks

Travis

Scott Almtrust

12 months ago

Thanks to MGS for the agnostic testing. I had never heard of Evnroll, but bought the ER2 based on last years results and putted better than ever. I’m a skeptical person, but the grooves really improve distance control. I will be picking up an ER8 soon!

Vincent

Frank

1 year ago

Well I took the bait and tried an Evnroll putter at my local retailer. It felt great and they were out of the ER8 Tour so I ordered a 33″ directly from Evnroll. This putter just works, first round out and I had 5 birdies and an eagle. It took me from missing by a half inch with my old putter a 35″ Edel E-1, to dropping puts from all over the greens. Short, long, and tricky breakers all falling and building my confidence in this putter. I have no skin in the game but when someone sells me a product like this, I feel the need to say this putter works.

Brandon

11 months ago

Frank – using a putter 2″ shorter will have a profound effect on most people’s putting regardless of make. Sounds like the Edel was not fit for you. I had a similar experience after going for a putter fitting which recommended a 34″ O-Works #9 for my arcing stroke. Next round out I choked down on my current gamer – a 35″ face balanced mid mallet and only took 11 putts on the first 8 holes.

kimpro

Rick

1 year ago

I’ve had the same putter for the last 20+ years or so it seems. Then I tinkered with the Rife putters and now I have two. I just loved how they impart a forward roll on putts and I never thought they could ever be taken out of the bag… Mr Rife is the only one that can outdo his own work. Now I have to take a serious look at these new offerings.

Joro

11 months ago

You are right, I have been using the Rife Hybrid Putter with the Blue grooved face for about 15 yrs and have found nothing that rolls the ball truer or better but for some reason it is far overlooked. Keep on keepen on and sinking those Putts

I love the technical data of this test. I think we need some quantitative data to quantify putter performance. The best improvement, especially for putters is having a sound and feel rating. This can be also added based on distance of putt also. Maybe you can ask your testers to complete and Likert scale on feel and on sound (maybe from short distance 8-10 ft as well as from long distance 40-50 feet.

When it comes to putters I think sound and especially feel matter most of short and long putts. I would love if you could explain some of the qualitative aspects of the top putters.

Brenda

1 year ago

After reading “most wanted”, I purchased the Cleveland CFI Cero. I have had other Cleveland putters, and I do like how they roll. I average 34 putts per round. I love this putter. My putting has never been better. I am making more one putts from various distances and now my average putts are 30. Now I need to hit more GIR and my scores will really plummet.

Stephen DiBari

1 year ago

Very surprised to see the Ping 2.0 Ketch Finish 2nd to last. I have an Evnroll ER2 and love it, bought it last March after seeing it finish 1st place here. Was curious about the Ping Ketch but now after seeing these poor results, going to take a pass. Like Mallets, might go for the ER8 or Possibly look into the Odyssey EXO 7s. I see the standard 7s in this test finished mid way in the pack. The EXO Has a different face and higher MOI, so that “should” perform better. The ER8 is looking better & better

David J Rose

Anonymous

1 year ago

I just played the $99 Tommy Armor today. Got it from Dicks online for $79.

There’s a reason it tied for first place. It’s stupid easy to use. I drained them all day. First putt of the day on the practice green, a 60’ downhill 8’ bend.
Drained.
I just started laughing. Why spend $350 when the $79 putter is money?

Plus it scoopes up the near misses so well

It’s a rare stroke of luck this putter came out so good-
5 stars. Money….

Ken

Danny

9 months ago

I just picked up the Tommy Armour putter. I bought my putter when I started playing at 20. It was a 10 dollar putter from Kmart (young and broke). I’m 42 and I’ve used it all these years. I don’t my cheapy putter, but I am very used to it. I felt it was time for an upgrade. I was nailing putts from 20 ft left and right on Golf Galaxy’s putting green with the Tommy. I was beginning to think that may the floor was slanted towards the hole somehow, but either way, it felt great. Nice weight and felt super balanced. I 2 and 3 putt more than I like. My shots onto the green from 130-150 are usually within 20 feet of the hole so I expect to really cut down on 3 putts. My putts from 20 feet are usually short so I hope to save about 5 strokes with this new putter. Let’s see…

Ed Heffern

1 year ago

Maybe it is my scientific background, but, it is interesting to look at the 5, 10, and 20 foot putts and see a strange result. A putter will be best from 5 and 20 feet but not be best from 10. I am interested in why that occurs. Very seldom in the mallet data is there a linear progression from 5 to 20 feet. Any guesses why?

It’s an interesting observation, and you’re not the first to have raised it. I should first say that the individual distance rankings come from a raw putt count, so we don’t look at the statistical reliability of the individual distance data. It’s possible that an analysis similar to what we do to determine overall rankings might yield some clarity.

Our working theory is that 10′ is, in a sense, the money distance. At 5′ every putter produces a 1-putt the majority of the time. I’d have to double-check, but I think the average 1-putt make rate is somewhere in the 70-75% range…maybe a bit less than that, as I think about it. At 20′ every putter produces a 2-putt the majority of the time. It can be a difference-making distance if the 1-putt percentage is significantly higher than the average, but again, the probabilities heavily suggest a 2-putt. At 10′ there’s more variability in the 1-putt make percentages. Some putters perform closer to the 5′ average, while others are closer to the 20′ average. I haven’t looked closely enough to confirm as much, but I think the lack of linear progression is a result of 10′ showing the widest range in the total putt count.

Carl Vandervoort

1 year ago

Tony

When I try new putters (and I try a lot) I’m certainly interested in 5, 10 & 20 footers. However, I’m more likely to make a decision on 40, 20 & 10 footers. What are your thoughts? Why exclude the 40 footers?

Kevin

10 months ago

i’d like to see the make percentage factor heavily on the short putts that you expect to make. but on 20 ft and greater putts, luck is involved. distance to the hole should come into play more on lag putts along with consistency. leaving 5 putts 1 ft short of hole is pretty good from 30 ft compared to making one, putting one past the hole 2 feet, one to the left 2′, one short, etc. basically weigh made putts less from distance while more heavily on short putts.

Jose Gonzalez

8 months ago

You could do a 3ft radius around the putt and call it a 40ft lag. Anything inside 3ft counts as a make.

Joe Golfer

1 year ago

That’s a good idea. It wouldn’t be about how many you can make from 40 feet. It could be about how closely you could lag the ball from 40 feet.

David Langley

Brad C

1 year ago

I have an issue with the way True Rank is being used especially since you have different data points (total putts and % first putts made) mixed in. Even with a disclaimer it’s clear from the comments section that this can be confusing.

My main issue is the use of ordinal data to calculate averages. While it may be that the calculations being done support the the final true rank number, it’s hard to decipher without having that data available to the end user. You reference in a previous comment response that the putters get tiered, which would negate my concerns about using ordinal data, but why not show that? It would create less confusion to me if we saw at least where these tiers are so that when Evnroll and TA end up both getting the #1 ranking I can see why the discrepancies in ranking allow you to still get to that conclusion. This is especially important when trying to calculate value or looking for a putter that excelled at a certain distance. Without knowing the numbers behind the rank I can’t use all this good information to make a decision that is tailored to my needs.

Brad – we’ll make some changes for next year for sure. We tried to address some of the questions that came out of the blade test, and I think we made things more complicated still…or at least didn’t do much to make the correlation between distance rankings and the winners clear. We’re looking at a couple of different things right now, but as I said there will be some changes.

As far as the tiers/top groups on which we base our rankings go. That’s pretty straightforward. The percentage shown next to TRUERank is the percentage of testers for which a given putter appeared in the top group where total putts across all distances is the metric.

MJ

1 year ago

Thanks MGS for another year of great reviews and info. I am so surprised by some the complaints and negative comments. This is free content guys! What more do you want? Lol… I mean we all want the reviews to improve, but come on, we need more constructive discussions.

scott

Michele

1 year ago

I was in the market for a new putter in September 2017, and based on MGS 2017 most wanted plus some friends’ feedback, I was about to get a Cleveland TFI Cero (previous model).
At the time, they had just received the new Cleveland TFI Cero Satin model, so I spent some time testing both. While I liked the feel and balance of the old model, I liked even more the softer feel of the new one. Also, I was excited about the new progressive “optimized” face milling, which clearly seemed the way to go for putter tech, given Evnroll success.
So I finally went for the new Satin Cero, and have not regretted it one bit. Great putter, outstanding feel, nice scores.
Needless to say, I was curious to see how it would perform in the new Most Wanted. I was quite surprised to see it is basically the worst performer of the panel this year.
Sure this doesn’t make me love it any less, and I do not wish to criticize MGS methods which I find interesting and refreshing, however I cannot help but wonder how last year’s Cero was on top of the list and the new model with updated tech, which I found a better performer based on personal testing, can be so far from the top…
Anyway, keep up doing what you do, we are all grown-ups and will make our choices accordingly!

Glad you like your putter and its performing well for you. That’s what matters most.

As for how a putter can drop off significantly from one year to the next, we ask ourselves questions like that all the time. I suspect there was some change related to the change in our ranking methodology, but we also know that small changes OEMs make year over year can have a big impact. Things like lie, loft, alignment aids, face milling, weight, grip, shaft color (we think that could be a big one) etc. can all change from one year to the next. What we know for certain right now is that something is different to a degree that it mattered. I’m hoping that we can use GCQuad next year to give us more insight into why the results are what they are.

AndyW

1 year ago

Would have be interesting for MGS to keep the exact 2017 putter that won last year and enter it into the 2018 testing?

Terry

1 year ago

If the list shown is all the putters tested then you have left one of the very best off your list. Frank Thomas’ Frankly Frog putter which was one of the first MOI putters and is still a really great putter. I first got one a number of years ago when a friend imported them into my country, and other friends would ask if they could try it and I never once got it back, so had to continually replace it. The one I currently use is the 25th one I got from the agent. As he no longer has the agency, it is no longer available for a loan.

Jon

DL

Mart T.

1 year ago

I’m calling BS, but only on the data reporting, not the actual data recorded. Last year, you raved about “Strokes Gained 18 value (SG18)”, but this year putter comparison, it’s omitted. Why? So we can’t do comparisons against last years clubs and this years to see which is the better performing club??
Maybe not – but that’s what it feels like.
Here’s a crazy idea, what’s the best performing putter, driver, irons, etc over the past 3 years???

With the new methodology for ranking (looking at the rate at which putters finish in the top group) SG18 was unnecessary. Truth be told, it was probably unnecessary to begin with since our testers hit putts from consistent distances, the SG or SG18 values always correlate with the total number of putts.

Kevin

1 year ago

Fantastic idea! This is especially relevant to all those who read the reviews and then wait a year or two to buy it at half price. Sometimes new stuff is so much better it’s worth waiting another year. Sometimes the new stuff performs worse than the previous year’s model.

P.J.

1 year ago

I picked up the EVNROLL ER7 last year, based upon the MGS Most Wanted Mallet Putter and I haven’t looked back. VERY happy with this putter and the distance control on the mishits is nothing short of phenomenal!! Long distance putts, I tend to hit the sweet spot since I take it back farther, but this putter really rolls a consistent distance whether its center, toe or heel shots. If you haven’t tried it yet – you are missing out! I’m sure there’s some adjustments on the ER8, really looking forward to hearing what they changed!
Congrats to Tommy Armour for performing so well and under a $100!!

P.J.

exqueezme

12 months ago

I picked up the ER7 based on the MGS reviews, and it is the most expensive club I own and well worth the money. The hype is real, these Evnroll putters do really make a difference in your overall score more than any other club. This coming from a TaylorMade Fanboy…sorry TM.

Mark Haimowitz

Sluggo

1 year ago

Played it today – MONEY!

Joe Golfer

1 year ago

According to article, tied for #1, though it is listed second.
I was looking for a website for Tommy Armour, but I couldn’t find one.
I clicked the “Buy” on this webpage, and it took me to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
I noticed they are already using the results of this test in their advertising, as I copied and pasted this from Dick’s webpage on that putter:
No. 3 Alignment: Winner of MyGolfSpy 2018 Most Wanted Mallet Putter Test. Higher MOI design with perimeter weighting and S Bend shaft. Face balanced, fit for players with a straight back, straight through stroke type. Counterbalance model available.

mackdaddy

Strangelove

1 year ago

Perhaps I’m the only one confused by the rankings. The Scotty Cameron Futura 5S finished 13th, 5th, and 10th in the tests but was the number 3 putter? … and tied with the Ping Tyne that finished 9th, 4th, and 6th?

ole gray

Scotty

1 year ago

Sorry Tony, can you please explain to me how the Evnroll and the Tommy have significantly different rank in distance performance (1st/ 2nd/ 1st vs the 3rd/ 2nd/ 9th) yet have the same True Rank? Looks to me, especially with the percentages, that Evnroll is better yet the rank doesn’t reflect that?

Mark U

They’re both correct. They reflect different metrics. The data displayed in the top performer graphics reflect the ranking based on 1-putt percentage, while the table at the bottom is based on total putts. We tried to simplify and frankly, overthought it. In the future, both graphics will show a ranking along with the total putt count.

Matty

1 year ago

Can anyone explain to me how in the world the evnroll and tommy armour finished tied for first when the evnroll was first in two of the 3 categories? They were tied for second best from 10 feet for make percentage and then the evnroll took more putts total from 10 feet (who knows how many more) and finished 4th in that respect to Tommy’s second place. Yet they tied overall? I just don’t get it.

The two metrics displayed in the graphics and charts (1-putt percentage and total putts) are raw counts and may or may not have any statistical significance.

TRUERank works exactly as it did in our driver test this year. We identify the top performing putter for each golfer (total putts across all distances). We then determine, based on a 90% confidence level, any additional putters for which the performance was not reliably different from that top putter for each tester.

For some testers the top group is 1 or 2 putters. For others it can be half the field or more.

We then look at the rate at which each putter appears in the top group across the entire test pool. Evnroll and Tommy Armour tied because each appeared in the Top Group for 60% of the testers.

While my statistician friends may frown on the description, in simple terms, TRUERank represents the probability that any given putter will be among the top performers for any given golfer.

John Willson

1 year ago

I have never seen an Evnroll on tv on the weekends. We all know that the pros play what companies pay them to play, but if Evnroll is as good as MGS keeps saying it is, and pros are playing in tolerances of one or two strokes for lots of money, wouldn’t you think we would see one now and then in the winner’s interview?

yungkory

1 year ago

You can lead the field in strokes gained putting and still lose the tournament. Bagging the MW putter doesn’t guarantee you a victory. If a huge OEM wants to give you a multi-million dollar deal to play 14 of their clubs wouldn’t you take the guaranteed contract money?

Thomas

1 year ago

Its all in the hands of the person and not the club
most important to most of us if not all, is how previous years compare to current. there are only two increases in today’s versus yesterday
price \; up up & away. Market hype and more market hype

Cannon369

DL

1 year ago

If what you said was true, how can Evnroll crush the putter rankings for blade and mallet like they’ve been doing for years now? Your argument makes no sense when you take this testing into account. Are you still using hickory shafts? Why not? Are you still using a persimmon head? Why not? Burying your head in the sand doesn’t mean technological advances aren’t occurring while you’re doing so.

Dave S

1 year ago

What are your thoughts on switching out the grip on these putters? Obviously the ones tested are using the stock grip so I’d imagine that could have an impact on the putters’ performance. For example, I’ve always put a superstroke slim grip on my putters, but I’m considering not doing that and just going with the EvnRoll stock grip.

Marc Lewin

Bryant

1 year ago

I picked one up yesterday at Dick’s.. The #2 model.. It’s a mid-mallet, weighed for balance.. And it was SWEET.. they didn’t have the #1 (blade), or this #3 alignment mallet, but it was so good that I opened this email SPECIFICALLY to see if it was tested – and how it did.. I’m not surprised TA got to the top of the list

Johnny Penso

1 year ago

I’m not talking about the Tommy because it’s not available left handed!!

Dennis

1 year ago

According to the Dick’s website, the TA #3 is available in left hand.

Joe Golfer

1 year ago

I clicked the “Buy” icon below the picture in this article. On the Dicks Sporting Goods site, it lists it as only in Right Handed. Dennis said it was available in left handed on the Dick’s website. Perhaps that was a different model? Or maybe they used to have lefty but are out of stock so not listing it?

DL

1 year ago

Evnroll has been crushing these tests for years now (have they ever lost one?) but I have to say that this TA tie for 1st is fantastic! Putters don’t need to cost a small fortune to perform well, the Cleveland last year was very respectable as well.

bullman

1 year ago

Love the site, the article on putting last week was great. With that said, as putters get larger and heavier, I have to question why Boccieri HeavyPutters haven’t been included in these tests for years. Also, I have to agree with an earlier comment that the volume of Ben Hogan articles/alerts/emails from MGS is suspicious.

Regarding Hogan emails, it’s a busy time for the company, so we’ve had stories on new wedges, new irons, and the forum testing too. We’re also slowly working on a story about brand tracing back to Ben Hogan’s time, getting feedback from guys who worked directly for Ben Hogan, tracing the evolution forward to today, etc..

This isn’t any different than it would be for any other brand during a heavy release period. We send emails for nearly every story we publish, so I find it odd when people cling to 3 Hogan stories, but when we have the same or higher volume of stories and emails for Callaway or Mizuno, or just about anybody else who releases a good bit of product over a small period, nobody says anything.

As I’ve said, people can believe whatever they want. The Hogan stuff will be in our iron and (I believe) our wedge tests. It will either perform or it won’t, it’s that simple.

alexandre

Cliff

1 year ago

Did you group he Ping Sigma G Tyne H in with the Ping Sigma G Tyne? Same putter with different alignment and color? I think that’s what the only differences are. Or was it treated as a separate putter?

Steven

Kevin

1 year ago

Very interesting results. The 2017 #2 mallet putter was the Cleveland TFI Cero which finished dead last this year. Did Cleveland change their putter for the worse (skeptical because it appears to be the same putter) or did every other company make huge improvements (also skeptical)? Or is the difference the change in the way TrueRank is calculated (maybe)? I suspect one of the biggest differences is the group of testers holding the club. If so, this would seem to considerably impact and skew the results. I’m also very interested in why the Evnroll putters rated so differently (1st and 11th). Alignment aid, weight/balance differences – obviously face technology can’t compensate for some differences. Tony, your thoughts?

DL

1 year ago

The results seem to indicate it did well on medium & long range putts, and “poorly” from 5′ range, which we’ve seen before. The 5′ range is so tight that it doesn’t matter too much. The Evnroll that finished 11th also figured into the top group for 40% of the testers, the winners were only 60%. Pretty solid showing I think.

Bridie Boy

1 year ago

You guys don’t discuss the fact that the type of putter balance (face balance, toe/heal) relative to the tester’s stroke preference will greatly affect the results. I own the ER2 which is blade but has very little toe hang. I favor an arc stroke and I put much better with putter that supports my stroke.

It’s beyond the scope of this post, but it’s something we’ve looked at in the past. Much to our surprise, we don’t always find a strong correlation between a players native stroke type and the arc/toe hang of the putters that work best for a given individual. It’s spotty at best. That said, we have the next year or so to work with Foresight GCQuad’s Essential Putting module to try and figure out a way to integrate that data into our test results.

Ooh I see an article coming I really want to read. Does matching your arc matter?

Dave S

1 year ago

I’m sure this will be asked a million times, and apologies of already answered, but will you be comparing the blade and mallet putters to give a MOST WANTED PUTTER 2018? I’ve never been more convinced that I need a new putter after seeing the utter dominance of EvnRoll in both mallet and blade categories over the past two years… I just want to know WHICH one!

FWIW, I bought the Ping Ketch Heavy a few years back and it’s been pretty good, but I’m a little disappointed in it’s performance from 5-10 feet. To be fair, this is probably on me more than the putter, but I can use any bit of help I can.

Second question, and again, sorry if previously addressed… but what is the main difference b/w the SG18 metric used last year vs TRUErank? Is one better than the other? Would be helpful, somewhat, in comparing results year over year.

Lol, I have the same putter as you (Ketsch Heavy CB) and I experienced the exact same thing. At the time, I really needed improvement on my lag putting and the Ketsch was an instant stroke saver but I began noticing the same as you with missed short putts. Fast forward a couple years, I’m much better at lag putting in general and now I’m playing the EvnRoll ER5 mallet and I can say that the hype is real. I have never putted better in my life with this thing and the proof is in my scoring. I also never practice putting so it has to be related to the putter in a substantial way.

Dave S

Drive_chip_putt_birdie

1 year ago

Tony, quick question.

Thank you for all your great testing. I was wondering why you test blades vs. blades and mallets vs mallets. I haven’t played in Golf tournaments where one is required over the other? Thus, a ‘vs field’ (though great statistical analysis) isn’t true to find the ‘best of the best’

We’ve gone back and forth with this over the years. I think most guys are either blade guys or mallet guys, so that makes the case for separation. However, if we found that mallets consistently outperform blades (don’t know if we would) it could make a larger case for switching to mallet (especially now that companies are making mallets for strong arc golfers).

It’s tricky. One of the things we’ve learned in years of testing is that everything influences everything else. It’s why it’s important to randomize and to keep products that are radically different from the field out of the test entirely. In that context, there’s an argument to be made for maintaining separation. Basically, a mixed test could prove insightful, or it could be a disaster that yields mixed and meaningless results. Like I said, it’s tricky.

I think the radical change we see on tour due to slight toe hang mallets has put new fuel in this argument. Tour players used to favor blades by quite a large margin but that was when every mallet was face balanced.

Jim

1 year ago

One area MGS could help the average player is comparing equipment across years. Such as, I have Mizuno JPX 825 irons – would I benefit from a newer set of GI irons to the point I should consider testing a newer set? I have a Ping Kestch mallet (based on MGS review) – should I try any of these reviewed here or are the differences so slight, I should not bother?

DL

1 year ago

I think it’s a matter of only so much time and money to put to testing. The amount of shots go up dramatically as you add testers and extra clubs. I would say the best way to handle it is to take the BEST single clubs from the previous year and mix them in with the new stuff. One extra club wouldn’t hurt too much, would it Tony?

Brian Benson

1 year ago

Another nice article that opens up the picture of what is available on today’s market, and how your testing methodology ranked them. Is one better than another? Who really knows for you accept you. Changing putters frequently is something I see only being done by bad putters and people who buy into the notion that we should pursue the technology curve. One of the reasons good putters stick with their putter is that it fits them, and they understand that they are responsible for the stroke they make with it and not the other way around.

DL

1 year ago

See I think you’re thinking is totally wrong on this Brian. I think both golfers (good and bad putters in this case) would quite obviously benefit from this information. I think the question you should be asking is, “can the good putter be BETTER?”. It’s clear that Evnroll is onto something as they’ve carved up quite a few wins, so it’s clear the technology is working, at least in my mind. What would that top putter do with an even better putter than what he has?

John

1 year ago

Well done, yet again, to Evnroll. I just sold an ER8 as it didn’t work for me on my home course greens. They are very slow at the moment and a bit bumpy and I just couldn’t get the lag right. I bought a Ping Ketsch Mid and it’s working much better, as always different strokes for different folks. Coincidentally I was reading a discussion about the Rife Barbados putter and a common theme was that it didn’t work very well on slow or bumpy greens, but was brilliant on smooth fast greens, so I wonder if that trait has carried over to the Evnroll line.
A lot of people on this site don’t seem to like Scotty Cameron but I tried a 2018 Select Fastback at the weekend and wow. It is the best feeling putter I have ever used and was very accurate on the indoor mat. It opened my eyes and will be testing it again and suggest that if you like a mallet putter it’s worth a try.

Dave

1 year ago

I would like to have the money back that I spent on Scotty Cameron putters. Honestly never had one that lasted more than one month in the bag. I putt left handed but hit right, have a terrible time trying to find a putter that sits properly and even looks good when you look down on it. It’s like oh it’s a lefty just throw it together some one will buy it. There are a lot off left hand putters out there that would give their money for a decent looking one. Just have not seen a good top quality lefty so come on mr manufacturers spend a little more quality time and make a good one. Good report on the most important club in the bag MYGS. Thanks.

Berniez40

1 year ago

Glad to see this. I’ve tried several of the Tommy Armour Products, and I think Dick’s is really on to something. No their new Driver, Irons, and Hybrids may not quite be the end all and do all that all the new stuff claims to be, but it is quality stuff that is head and shoulders above clubs from 2 and 3 years ago–thus making it a great value buy for those looking for a step up from their older clubs without breaking the bank. These tests help show that it is stuff that can at least run with most of the new products, and in many cases outclass it. I’ve rolled this putter, and it really is as good as the tests claim. The best part for me is that there is a 38″ Counter-Balanced model which is getting harder and harder to come by. The lack of new 38″ Counter-Balanced putters is the very reason I no longer play Taylormade, after rolling Spider Putters for well over a decade.

TWar

1 year ago

I was in a golf galaxy getting regrouped and picked up this Tommy Armour putter. I rolled a few and was instantly impressed and surprised. The feel and sound was solid and had a great balance. Great job MGS!

Keith Irvine

1 year ago

A putter is a putter, is a putter. For 3,4, $500.00 I would expect it to read the greens and make the stroke for me. This is just an ego trip and it’s time people woke up and realized that all the hype on all new clubs is just that. Hype. If you can read greens and have touch you can use an old bullseye and make putts. If you can’t, this latest hype isn’t going to make you any better, other than give you ‘feel good’ bragging rights. Wake up!!!

DL

1 year ago

I think in the face of years of testing where Evnroll’s technology has proved to be effective, we can safely call you an idiot and continue on with our days. Sorry, why are you even here? It boggles my mind how you can look at the information above and determine that it has no value.

Keith Irvine

1 year ago

Wow…..I’ll bet you have a bunch of the most expensive ‘wall-hangers’ just sitting around to warm up again. Suggest you put them in the oven for an hour before playing. My old ‘Bullseye’ just sits in my car and gets cold every night but it still makes putts.

Theedpatt

1 year ago

1st. Ping Ketsch was in the test 2 years ago and did well, last year it was not submitted for the test.

2nd. Just because the head shape is the same does not mean it’s the same putter. Its also not even the same series that Won in 2016. Even more evidence that its a very different putter

gotwoody

Johnny Penso

1 year ago

I’m not sure fact means what you think it’s means. What you’re talking about isn’t a fact, it’s an assumption. You’re basically saying the tests results are thrown out and fake data is used to show advertisers winning Most Wanted designations. If you have something to back that up by all means present it. You’ll also have to contact a whole host of other YT reviewers who have also made the same claims for Snell, Vice and other direct to consumer balls. Maybe it’s just a giant conspiracy.

yungkory

1 year ago

Illuminati confirmed?

Johnny Penso

1 year ago

Illuminati indeed…lol. Not sure why people don’t understand that a site that does independent and unbiased attention would attract advertisers that are doing well in the independent testing. If you were Tommy Armour this would be a great place to advertise wouldn’t it? If you’re Wilson, not so much, at least on the putter front.

Not to go into the weeds here, but our advertising model is very different than most, if not all.

First, we turn away the overwhelming majority of brands who approach us. It’s not enough to say your product performs, you have to be able to prove it. More into the weeds, that’s fundamentally why you don’t see Warrior Golf or training aid companies here right now. The latter is big on promising that their product does x, y, z, none have ever provided us any evidence.

Second, the majority of our advertisers become such AFTER their products test well for us. Evnroll became an advertiser after we validated the product. That’s true for Snell, and going back a few years, it was true for the Harrison Shotmaker. So yeah, the models Geurin has submitted for Most Wanted have performed well. Companies who make outstanding product are exactly the brands we want as advertisers.

Regarding Snell, the original MTB finished on top of a DTC consumer test well before they became an advertiser. In our most recent test of the new ball against the market leader, we did not, as you suggest, declare it number 1. We posted real data with observations, which included the fact that the Pro V1 provided more greenside spin. What we concluded was that the Snell ball offered similar performance to a Pro V1 for less money. This is objectively true and well short of a declaration that Snell is number 1. So, if you’re going to hurl accusations of bias, my only request is that you have your facts in order first.

Third, Our mindset here is reader first, advertisers and everyone else second. What that means is that advertisers and their products take a backseat to you guys. If a product doesn’t perform, we’ll tell you. The reality is advertisers come and go and are easily replaced, but once you violate a reader’s trust, it’s gone forever.

I’ll point out that Krank Golf was an advertiser (one of our biggest) when it submitted the Formula 5 for Most Wanted Testing. It finished last, they pulled their ads, and haven’t participated since. If an advertiser can’t handle criticism and isn’t fully invested in making a top performing product, we don’t want them here, because they don’t have anything to offer you.

Fourth (and last), this putter test took 135 hours to complete. That’s 135 hours of tester/golfer time spent in our facility hitting putts. We value the time and contributions of our testers and we’re sure as hell not going to waste a minute of by manipulating results.

Frankly, believe whatever the hell you’d like, but we’ve got a damn strong track record on this stuff. There’s a quote I picked up from Gary Adams by way of Sean Toulon. “Products either perform or they don’t.” The point is you can only fool people with bad product for so long. We’re not in the business of trying to fool anyone.

DL

1 year ago

What an asshole comment, seriously. Do you think these guys are here to waste hundreds of hours testing equipment for US just to ruin it by taking a piddly amount of advertising money from small companies like Evnroll & Snell? Do the calculation on the hours taken to perform this test and the advertising amount from Evnroll and try to figure out if it’s even minimum wage, I doubt it.

Why frequent a site that you believe is fraudulent? Carry on your way, continue using your Titliest Prov1 & Scotty Cameron & Krank driver and continue to bury your head in the sand. Hopefully your playing partners aren’t so stubborn and beat you with the better products on the course.

George

DL

1 year ago

They don’t buy the products (unless they have to, see driver test), it’s normally submitted by the manufacturer. I think in some cases it also has to be “new” for the year, which is why you didn’t see Srixon in the driver test again this year after winning last year.

DJF

Dave S

1 year ago

The problem with doing this, at least up till this point, is that the testing protocol and ranking system gets tweaked (improved?) each year, making year-over-year comparisons dubious. Same with pretty much all MW club testing (just go back and look at how the clubs were ranked and the data points used in some of the original tests).

This year, they introduced TRUERank, which as I understand it, is different than the simple SG18 metric used last year (though I’m not sure to what extent). So comparing the ER7 to the ER8 wouldn’t necessarily be possible.

THAT SAID, including the ER7 in this year’s test is a way to get around the issue (which is something I’ve been suggesting for years). MGS doesn’t need to include ALL clubs from the previous test, but just the winner (or top 3, etc.). Keep including those clubs in each year’s testing until they are beaten out. I think everyone who went out and bought a club based on it winning the MW test would like to see how it stacks up year-over-year. Pretty simple fix IMO.

Stephen

1 year ago

Agreed. I don’t want to use 2017 data, I would like them to include the 2017 winning club in the 2018 test. I think it’s particularly relevant when the 2017 club is still available from the manufacturer, as is the case here.

I could not agree more. Not the new version of last years winning club, just keep this years winner and let it go against next years crowd.

RockingCPA

10 months ago

Agree with Stephen. I just bought a used ER7 and absolutely love it. I had 12 putts in the first 9 holes yesterday, 13 on the back 9 and very few of the first putts were tap-ins. That is 2-5 putts less then my typical average. This makes me wonder how the ER7 would have faired against the ER8 this year. I also agree that MGS shouldn’t use 2017 data, but instead test it again in the current year testing. Would the ER8 have beaten the ER7? We’ll never know.

Then again, my buddy Sluggo bought an ER3 and, to me, the ER3 actually feels more solid than my ER7, but I just prefer a mallet. I’m sure the results are somewhat subjective, but head-to-head testing of the prior year winner in the current year test might answer some questions many of us have.

jack

1 year ago

I just picked up the new Armour putter at Dicks myself 2 weeks ago. I had a coupon and gave it some rolls on the in store green. It felt great to me there. But many do but it won’t translate to the real world. So I rolled the dice for $89.00. Wow, seriously I have never putted better. My misses are much more minimal and I have tried many putters (albeit mostly used and low/mid end). Only 3 putted once the first time out with it. I am very impressed with a reasonably priced putter.

Anonymous

TBT

Forzabucks

1 year ago

Tested the ER8 and it was nice…..I was ready to pull the trigger as I’ve been using a mallet putter for the last 6 years….but then I tried the ER2 blade and fell in love with it. I’m testing out the ER3 to see if I like it as much or more than the ER2, but it seems like I’m making the switch to blades. Either way, the test results show that EVNROLL is doing something massively right!

Mike

Rene

1 year ago

This is my one compliant about this testing. They move on very quickly. I don’t see how you can seek to take down golfing hype marketing when you don’t even build off the previous years’ winners. Sorry MGS but you are still perpetuating the new gear hype when all you do is test new equipment.

Rene

1 year ago

In their defense, one of the Evnrolls smashed the ketsch already.

large chris

1 year ago

Spot on, there must be commercial considerations why this isn’t done, but mixing some previous years “most wanted” in with current tests would be fascinating. As has been pointed out, there wasn’t much correlation on the putter blade test results for example compared to last year.

David

1 year ago

1st. Ping Ketsch was in the test 2 years ago and did well, last year it was not submitted for the test.

2nd. Just because the head shape is the same does not mean it’s the same putter. Its also not even the same series that Won in 2016. Even more evidence that its a very different putter

Large chris

1 year ago

This years Ketsch may well be a very different putter, I’m not arguing that David, just that it would be fascinating to bring out some of the actual winning models from previous years (i.e. The ones that are in people’s bags) and see if they continue to stack up.

Luke Demaree

1 year ago

Work at Dicks and rolled the Tommy Armour 3 around the putting green. Very surprised how great it felt. Also very surprised by the irons as well. The people at Tommy Armour are doing a great job making clubs for the game improvement folks

anon

1 year ago

Going to say it til I’m blue in the face, but can you please start using your tester’s current clubs as well? It’s a critical control that’s missing from all of your testing. When it comes right down to it, for me at least, I’m not going to buy a new product unless it’s out performing what I currently game.

I understand what you’re saying, but the purpose of a control is to eliminate variables. When your ‘control’ is potentially 20 different clubs, it’s not actually a control, it’s an additional and unnecessary variable.

That said, you shouldn’t put anything in your bag unless it outperforms what it’s replacing.

Anon

1 year ago

Just think it would be more interesting to know if a tester is making significantly more putts with the new vs. the old putter.

Dave S

1 year ago

Agree with both points. That said, would be cool to at least have it as a data point, even if not factored into the MW ranking. Like, % likely to outperform current gamer? Would be interesting to see if that % corresponded with the TRUErank %.

Dave B

1 year ago

I agree. When I check out new sticks, I always take what I’m currently hitting to use as a baseline, my “control,” if you will. If the new stuff isn’t appreciably better than what I have now, I won’t buy it.

That said, I love how you include budget gear in your testing. For $100 vs $400, why wouldn’t I try the new Tommy Armour?

Jonathan

1 year ago

Ma, the Evnroll Team just continues to produce great products. This just makes me wonder if Scotty Cameron is nothing more than just a name. It seems to be more about what they used to be vs. the manufacturers bthat are more the market forward.

egdewrg

1 year ago

Cleveland HB 6 mallet is even with the Evenroll based on my test at a local Golf store indoor putting green! My test is nerve wreckers at 3, 7 and 10feet. The throw up zone for making a 5-4 to halve the hole at the member guest. 20 footers are practice and luck based on PGA tour statistics.
The Cure CX1 hybrid blade mallet is right there with them.
$500 putters are best bought in the used aftermarket IMHO.

DL

1 year ago

Did you see that the Evnroll make % from 20′ was 28%?! It shocked me to say the least, that is a massive number and much higher than I thought it would be, granted it was inside on a flat (is it) practice green. I think based on their info last week on 3 putting, the first putt is the most important, especially from long distances.